Middlebury’s news - without the noise
Well, the grace period on Save Historic Middlebury's contract to buy the 35 acres next to Memorial Middle School expired March 10th and we don't yet have a confirmed outcome. That makes today's lead a story about a deadline (not a result) and we want to be upfront about that.
Today
Kelly Road Deadline, But the Outcome is Still Unknown
I-84 Closures Due to South Street Bridge (something other outlets didn’t highlight)
Rising Fuel Costs = CT Gas Tax Holiday?
Kelly Road Deadline Has Passed — What Happens Next
The contract window for Save Historic Middlebury to purchase 35 acres next to Memorial Middle School expired Tuesday. No public confirmation yet on whether the deal survived.
Tuesday, March 10th came and went, and Save Historic Middlebury has not yet publicly confirmed whether the owner of 124 Kelly Road terminated the group's purchase contract or granted an extension.
The deadline mattered. Under the existing agreement, if SHM failed to make a $1 million milestone payment due March 1st, which it did not, the property owner gained the legal right to walk away from the deal starting March 10th and move forward with a pre-approved subdivision of 14 homes. The 35-acre parcel sits about 25 feet from Memorial Middle School.
In a public post on March 6th, SHM President Nick Stuller acknowledged the odds were against them but said the owner would likely grant more time if the group could show enough pledges. Stuller also noted that even if the contract is terminated, SHM would stay ready to act if the developer's timeline slips before construction begins.
The land, which includes a historically significant farmstead, has been SHM's centerpiece preservation effort since the group formed. Its appeal as a park site comes partly from its location and no other open land sits that close to the only middle school in town.
As of this writing, no announcement has been made on the SHM website, its social media accounts, or in local press. We're keeping eyes on this and will include any development as soon as it's confirmed.
South Street Bridge Work Is Now Impacting I-84 at Night
CTDOT is running nightly lane closures on the highway directly under the bridge…something other bridge closure announcements didn't cover.
If the South Street Bridge closure was just about South Street, you may want to read this.
CTDOT issued a separate advisory on February 27th announcing that as the bridge work ramps up, crews will begin intermittent nightly lane closures on I-84 itself both east and westbound. Those closures began Monday, March 9th.
Starting at 8 p.m. each night, traffic in both directions under the bridge may be reduced to a single lane by way of a rolling roadblock. This is expected to continue through the project's completion date of September 10, 2027. (Yes, a long time to repair an existing bridge…)
The bridge deck replacement and structural repair project, handled by Rotha Contracting Company at a contract value of $9.6 million, is being managed by CTDOT's District 4 office in Thomaston. South Street itself remains closed to all traffic with a detour via Route 188 and Long Meadow Road in effect.
For daytime drivers on I-84, nothing changes. But if you're commuting home late, or heading out evenings toward Waterbury or Hartford, expect slowdowns through that stretch. CTDOT said modifications to the schedule may occur due to weather or unforeseen conditions.
Gas Prices Are Up, and the Governor Is Talking About a Tax Holiday
A jump in fuel costs prompted Governor Lamont Tuesday to float suspending Connecticut's gasoline and diesel taxes (but nothing is law yet).
You're probably already seeing it and feeling it at the pump. Connecticut's average gas price hit nearly $3.45 a gallon on Tuesday, up more than 50 cents per gallon from just March 1st, according to AAA and state officials. The spike follows the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East which disrupted oil supply lines from the Persian Gulf.
In response, Governor Ned Lamont on Tuesday said he would talk with state lawmakers about suspending Connecticut's gas taxes as a short-term fix. The state levies a 25-cent-per-gallon retail tax on regular gasoline and a 48.9-cent tax on diesel. A third wholesale tax which stations routinely pass along to drivers could also be part of any potential holiday, though Lamont was noncommittal on a timeline.
Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney came out in favor of the idea, though he said any holiday should cover all three levies not just the two retail taxes. No legislation has been filed and no vote has been scheduled as of this writing.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, March 12 — Town meeting: Basket weaving class, Middlebury Senior Center, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Monday, March 16 — Board of Selectmen meeting, 5:00 p.m. | Public Works Commission, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 17 — Tax Relief Committee meeting, 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 18 — Region 15 BOE Budget Workshop, 6:30 p.m., PHS Media Center (Middlebury's share of the 2026-27 school budget is on the table)